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Ask Slashdot: Predictions For 2016? (slashdot.org)
An anonymous reader writes: Ok folks, it's been ten years since we've done this. What are your tech/science/nerd/misc predictions for 2016? Is VR going to be the bombshell it's being hyped as? Are wearables going to come into their own? Which tech companies are going to implode, and which are going to blossom? What discoveries are we going to make this year? Will people ever shut up about Donald Trump? Which new movies, books, games, and TV shows are going to be awesome? Which are going to suck? How will our privacy and security erode in 2016? And anything else you'd care to forecast.
People will keep flocking to one of the fastest growing city in the USA, even though it will continue to have increasingly devastating consequences from regular flooding for the population and industry, particularly farming.
Wall street, on behalf of rich people, will short-sell (via complex derivatives that mask their intent) the Florida property and life insurers, mortgagees, corporations, and property owners.
Florida will continue to deny the existence of climate change at the popular and official levels.
Moderation system is fine. We don't need wild 1000 point swings that will just attract "gang" mods and forum poisoning. The overall stability over the years here is a good thing, and who else has almost 17 years of uncensored archives accessible to all? To all the complainers about this, and unicode, please, don't let the door hit yer ass! Though I will admit, the uniqueness isn't there anymore. Eh, such is life. The pasture here is green enough...
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
... that could be construed a bigoted, sexist or unpatriotic. It will go viral, and a flame war will rage across social media in which the public shamers and defenders will vie to twist the narrative of what was in fact a moment of misspeaking into proof that their respective world views are, not only right, but the only conscionable viewpoint to have.
And, even knowing in advance fully how futile and unsatisfying it will be, you won't be able to resist weighing in with what seems to you to be a reasonable and nuanced take on the matter. This will not be perceived by anyone as reasonable and nuanced. Then, like a gambler vainly trying to win back his stake, your participation in the controversy will grow in proportion to your dissatisfaction with it.
An when it is all over a few weeks later it will all happen again.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
You don't get it, do you?
We have arrived at a point where sexism, racism and other -ism are something that reached public awareness. People don't make flippant stereotype jokes anymore. Because people are aware that they are hurtful and that people of that race, gender, orientation, you name it, are hurt by it. That it's not funny but harmful.
What's left is the assholes that don't give a shit about offending anyone and still tell them.
The problem now is that for some that ain't enough. They don't want equality, they want preferential treatment. They want to swing that pendulum to the other extreme now. Some professional victims go out of their way to be "offended" by anything anyone says, claiming that "everything is racist/sexist/homophobe" and try to build a power base on it.
And that's pissing people off. Not because they can't be sexist/racist/homophobe anymore. But because they are neither of those, get accused of it and may even get into trouble for essentially NOTHING, just 'cause some SJW asshole is on a power trip.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.